Touching the forest — first exhibition for the blind at the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia

On 4 December 2025, at 14:30, at the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Prof. Pavel Stoev, Director of the museum, and Sen. Assist. Dr Stefaniya Kamenova, author of the exhibition, officially presented the new temporary exhibition “Touching the forest”, developed for both the general public and visually impaired visitors.

Official guests at the opening were Mr Vasil Dolapchiev, Chairman of the Union of the Blind in Bulgaria, and representatives of various organisations of people with visual impairments.

The exhibition includes 4 tactile panels, two audio pedestals and a corner for playing forest chess, adapted for the blind.

The tactile panels present the vertical zonality of forest vegetation in Bulgaria, the difference in the silhouette of some emblematic forest species such as oak, beech, pine, spruce and fir, as well as the characteristics of their leaves and fruits, and from the alpine vegetation you can find the common sycamore, Lapland willow, silver birch and mountain catkin.

Bark sections of eight of the most common tree species in Bulgaria are on display, as well as samples of the fur of six species of forest mammals.

Four invertebrate species of forest inhabitants are presented with a three-dimensional print — rosalia longicorn, European rhinoceros beetle, stag beetle and millipede.

Two audio pedestals with headphones for individual listening offer soundscapes of Bulgarian forests with high-quality stereo recordings of sounds of birds, frogs and insects.

The specially designated area for playing forest chess has a game board and checkers that are adapted for both sighted and blind people and use themes from the exhibition with checkers in the shape of different tree leaves.

The exhibition was realised with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and with the assistance of the Union of the Blind in Bulgaria.